English

Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis

SUBMITTED BY:SHIVAM MISHRA
B.A. LLB
ROLL NO:- 151
PRN: - 16010323151
IN
OCTOBER 2016

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Srinivas Bandameedi
SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, HYDERABAD
SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, PUNE

CERTIFICATE

The Project entitled Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis submitted to the

Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad for ENGLISH I as part of Internal
assessment is based on my original work carried out under the guidance of
Srinivas Bandameedi
From August 2016 To October 2016 . The research work has not been
submitted elsewhere for award of any degree.

The material borrowed from other sources and incorporated in the thesis
has been duly acknowledged.

I understand that I myself could be held responsible and accountable for

plagiarism, if any detected later on.

Signature of the candidate:Date:-

INDEX

Introduction
Plot Overview
Character List
Analysis of major character
Conclusion
Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, initially distributed in 1915. It has

been called one of the fundamental works of fiction of the twentieth century and is
considered in schools and colleges over the Western world.
The story starts with a voyaging businessperson, Gregor Samsa, waking to get
himself changed into a vast, massive creepy crawly like animal. The reason for
Gregor's change is never uncovered, and Kafka himself never gave a clarification.
Whatever remains of Kafka's novella manages Gregor's endeavors to conform to his
new condition as he manages being difficult to his folks and sister, who are repulsed
by the frightful, verminous animal Gregor has ended up.

Context:Now an icon of twentieth-century literature, Franz Kafka entered the world in

unexceptional circumstances. His father was an ambitious and bullying shopkeeper
and his mother was a wealthy brewers daughter who married beneath her social
rank. He was their first child, born in 1883 in a house in the center of Prague. Five
siblings followed, two of whom died young, leaving Kafka the only boy. Kafka had a
sensitive disposition and slight appearance, much to his fathers distaste. Moreover,
Kafkas literary interestshe wrote plays for his sisters and read constantlydid not
sit well with his fathers practical mindset. Their relationship remained strained
throughout Kafkas life, and his fathers overbearing and authoritarian personality left
its mark on much of Kafkas writing.

At the time, Prague was the capital of Bohemia, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Prague boasted a large Jewish population that included the Kafkas, though the family
had little daily concern for the faith and rarely attended synagogue. (Kafka regarded
his bar mitzvah as a meaningless joke.) Pragues working class majority spoke Czech,
while the elites spoke German, the language of the empires rulers. Kafka knew both
languages but was most comfortable with German. Being a German speaker in a
predominantly Czech-speaking area and a Jew with little connection to Judaism, Kafka
struggled his entire life with a sense of alienation from those around him.

Kafka underwent a rigorous and strict education that placed great emphasis on the
classics. In 1901, he enrolled in Charles-Ferdinand University (now known as Charles
University), intending to study chemistry but harboring literary ambitions. After two
weeks, he abandoned chemistry for law, then switched to German literature, only to
return to law. He never liked law, however, and said he chose it because it required
the least amount of mental energy. After graduation, he worked for a year in the
judicial system before leaving for a job in insurance. He hated his first employer and
the long hours, so in 1908 he went to work for Bohemias Workers Accident

Insurance Institute, where he stayed for the rest of his working life. Kafka claimed he
only took the job, which involved evaluating workers injury claims, because its short
hours and decent wages allowed him time and opportunity to write. Despite this
attitude, he was evidently a conscientious employee.

While at Charles-Ferdinand University, Kafka befriended Max Brod, another Germanspeaking Jew interested in literature. Brod encouraged Kafkas writing, and together
with Felix Weltsch, a journalist, they formed the nucleus of the Prague Circle, a
group of writers who met regularly to discuss literature and ideas. Brod and Weltsch
were deeply invested in Jewish issues and encouraged Kafka in this regard, with
mixed success. Kafka developed an interest in popular Yiddish theater, for instance,
and tried to learn Hebrew near the end of his life. But he never fully embraced
Zionism, and he remained ambivalent toward Judaism. He was more openly
interested in anarchism and socialism, though the depth of his commitment to either
philosophy remains controversial as he refused to completely align himself with an
established worldview. As a result, he cannot be put into a simple political category.

In 1911, Kafkas father pressured him into helping a relative open an asbestos
factory. This venture took a severe toll on both Kafkas time and his already weak
constitution, leading him to contemplate suicide. But in 1912, Kafka met Felice
Bauer, a relation of Brods through marriage. Kafka fell for Bauer immediately and
began writing her passionate letters in which he revealed many doubts about his
abilities. These events broke a creative logjam for Kafka. In September 1912, he
wrote the short story The Judgment in a single sitting, dedicating it to his new love.
And over the course of three weeks that autumn, he wrote The Metamorphosis. Brod
urged Kafka to publish The Metamorphosis, but it took three years of encouragement
and negotiation before the story finally made its public debut. In response, Kafka won
the Theodor Fontane Prize, a significant German-language literary award. He also
began work on a novel, now known as Amerika, and published the first chapter in
1913.

In 1913, Kafka went to a sanatorium in Italy to revive his failing health. He continued
to write to Felice Bauer, and the two were engaged that year. Though not a virgin,
Kafka was extremely uneasy about sex, regarding it as disgusting and a sort of
punishment, and his letters to Bauer describe his anguished feelings in great detail.
Their engagement ended in 1914. That year, Kafka began work on his novel The Trial,
which he never managed to complete. In 1917, he and Bauer briefly became reengaged. Their renewed relationship ended when Kafka was diagnosed with
tuberculosis shortly thereafter. In 1919, Kafka proposed to the daughter of a janitor,

sending his father into a rage, but Kafka left her just before the wedding. He next
developed a passionate attachment to a married journalist who translated his work
into Czech, then he fell in love with Dora Diamant, a volunteer at a tuberculosis
clinic. Kafka followed her to Berlin, but his condition worsened and they moved to a
clinic near Vienna. On June 3, 1924, unable to eat because of the pain, Franz Kafka
starved to death.

Before he died, Kafka asked Max Brod to destroy all of his writings after his death,
but Brod didnt comply with his wishes. Over the course of the 1920s and 30s,
Kafkas works were published and translated, instantly becoming landmarks of
twentieth-century literature. His emphasis on the absurdity of existence, the
alienating experience of modern life, and the cruelty and incomprehensibility of
authoritarian power reverberated strongly with a reading public that had just
survived World War I and was on its way to a second world war. Today, people use
the word Kafkaesque to signify senseless and sinister complexity, and Kafkas
reputation as one of the most important writers of modern times is undiminished.

Plot Overview:Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up in his bed to find himself transformed
into a large insect. He looks around his room, which appears normal, and decides to
go back to sleep to forget about what has happened. He attempts to roll over, only to
discover that he cannot due to his new bodyhe is stuck on his hard, convex back.
He tries to scratch an itch on his stomach, but when he touches himself with one of
his many new legs, he is disgusted. He reflects on how dreary life as a traveling
salesman is and how he would quit if his parents and sister did not depend so much
on his income. He turns to the clock and sees that he has overslept and missed his
train to work.

Gregors mother knocks on the door, and when he answers her, Gregor finds that his
voice has changed. His family suspects that he may be ill, so they ask him to open
the door, which he keeps locked out of habit. He tries to get out of bed, but he
cannot maneuver his transformed body. While struggling to move, he hears his office
manager come into the familys apartment to find out why Gregor has not shown up
to work. He eventually rocks himself to the floor and calls out that he will open the
door momentarily.

Through the door, the office manager warns Gregor of the consequences of missing
work and hints that Gregors recent work has not been satisfactory. Gregor protests
and tells the office manager that he will be there shortly. Neither his family nor the
office manager can understand what Gregor says, and they suspect that something
may be seriously wrong with him. Gregor manages to unlock and open the door with
his mouth, since he has no hands. He begs the office managers forgiveness for his
late start. Horrified by Gregors appearance, the office manager bolts from the
apartment. Gregor tries to catch up with the fleeing office manager, but his father
drives him back into the bedroom with a cane and a rolled newspaper. Gregor injures
himself squeezing back through the doorway, and his father slams the door shut.
Gregor, exhausted, falls asleep.

Gregor wakes and sees that someone has put milk and bread in his room. Initially
excited, he quickly discovers that he has no taste for milk, once one of his favorite
foods. He settles himself under a couch and listens to the quiet apartment. The next
morning, his sister Grete comes in, sees that he has not touched the milk, and
replaces it with rotting food scraps, which Gregor happily eats. This begins a routine
in which his sister feeds him and cleans up while he hides under the couch, afraid
that his appearance will frighten her. Gregor spends his time listening through the
wall to his family members talking. They often discuss the difficult financial situation
they find themselves in now that Gregor cant provide for them. Gregor also learns
that his mother wants to visit him, but his sister and father will not let her.

Gregor grows more comfortable with his changed body. He begins climbing the walls
and ceiling for amusement. Discovering Gregors new pastime, Grete decides to
remove some of the furniture to give Gregor more space. She and her mother begin
taking furniture away, but Gregor finds their actions deeply distressing. He tries to
save a picture on the wall of a woman wearing a fur hat, fur scarf, and a fur muff.
Gregors mother sees him hanging on the wall and passes out. Grete calls out to
Gregorthe first time anyone has spoken directly to him since his transformation.
Gregor runs out of the room and into the kitchen. His father returns from his new job,
and misunderstanding the situation, believes Gregor has tried to attack the mother.
The father throws apples at Gregor, and one sinks into his back and remains lodged
there. Gregor manages to get back into his bedroom but is severely injured.

Gregors family begins leaving the bedroom door open for a few hours each evening
so he can watch them. He sees his family wearing down as a result of his
transformation and their new poverty. Even Grete seems to resent Gregor now,
feeding him and cleaning up with a minimum of effort. The family replaces their maid

with a cheap cleaning lady who tolerates Gregors appearance and speaks to him
occasionally. They also take on three boarders, requiring them to move excess
furniture into Gregors room, which distresses Gregor. Gregor has also lost his taste
for the food Grete brings and he almost entirely ceases eating.

One evening, the cleaning lady leaves Gregors door open while the boarders lounge
about the living room. Grete has been asked to play the violin for them, and Gregor
creeps out of his bedroom to listen. The boarders, who initially seemed interested in
Grete, grow bored with her performance, but Gregor is transfixed by it. One of the
boarders spots Gregor and they become alarmed. Gregors father tries to shove the
boarders back into their rooms, but the three men protest and announce that they
will move out immediately without paying rent because of the disgusting conditions
in the apartment.

Grete tells her parents that they must get rid of Gregor or they will all be ruined. Her
father agrees, wishing Gregor could understand them and would leave of his own
accord. Gregor does in fact understand and slowly moves back to the bedroom.
There, determined to rid his family of his presence, Gregor dies.

Upon discovering that Gregor is dead, the family feels a great sense of relief. The
father kicks out the boarders and decides to fire the cleaning lady, who has disposed
of Gregors body. The family takes a trolley ride out to the countryside, during which
they consider their finances. Months of spare living as a result of Gregors condition
have left them with substantial savings. They decide to move to a better apartment.
Grete appears to have her strength and beauty back, which leads her parents to
think about finding her a husband.

Character List:-

Gregor Samsa

- A traveling salesman and the protagonist of the story. Gregor

hates his job but keeps it because of the obligations he feels to pay off his fathers
debt and care for his family. He has transformed into a large bug and spends the rest
of his life in that state. Although hideous and unrecognizable to others, Gregor
retains his some of his inner life and struggles to reconcile his lingering humanity
with his physical condition.

Grete Samsa

- Gregors sister. Grete is a young woman on the cusp of

adulthood. She initially shows great concern for Gregor, but her compassion gives
way to possessiveness and resentment as the effects of Gregors transformation on
her life slowly take their toll.

The father

- Gregors father. The failure of his business has left him exhausted
and emotionally broken, and he is forced to return to work again after Gregors
metamorphosis. Despite the beneficial effects his new employment has on him, he
expresses considerable hostility toward Gregor.

The mother

- Gregors mother. Frail and distressed, the mother is torn between

her love for Gregor and her horror at Gregors new state. Grete and Gregors father
seek to protect her from the full reality of her sons transformation.

The charwoman -

An elderly widow and the Samsa familys cleaning lady.

Taken on by the Samsas after their regular maid quits because of Gregor, she is a
blunt, honest woman who faces the reality of Gregors state without fear or disgust.

The office manager -

Gregors boss. Distrustful and overbearing, the office

manager insinuates that Gregor has been doing a poor job at work. He flees in terror
upon seeing Gregor.

The boarders -

Three temporary boarders in the Samsas house. The boarders

greatly value order and cleanliness, and thus become horrified when they discover
Gregor.

The maid -

The Samsas original maid. She is terrified by Gregor and begs the

family to fire her.

Analysis of Major Characters:Gregor Samsa:-

Despite his complete physical transformation into an insect at the beginning of the
story, Gregor changes very little as a character over the course of The
Metamorphosis. Most notably, both as a man and as an insect Gregor patiently
accepts the hardships he faces without complaint. When his fathers business failed,
he readily accepted his new role as the money-earner in the family without question,
even though it meant taking a job he disliked as a traveling salesman. Similarly,
when he first realizes he has transformed into an insect, he does not bemoan his
condition, wonder about its cause, or attempt to rectify it in any way. On the
contrary, he quickly accepts that he has become a bug and tries to go about his life
as best he can in his new condition. The narration in the story mirrors Gregors calm
forbearance by never questioning or explaining how or why this odd transformation
occurred or remarking on its strangeness. Instead, the story, much like Gregor,
moves on quickly from the metamorphosis itself and focuses on the consequences of
Gregors change. For Gregor, that primarily means becoming accustomed to his new
body.
In fact reconciling his human thoughts and feelings with his new, insect body is the
chief conflict Gregor faces in the story. Despite having changed into an insect, Gregor
initially still wants to go to work so that he can provide for his family. It takes him
time to realize that he can no longer play that role in his family and that he cant
even go outside in his current state. As the story continues, Gregors insect body has
an increasing influence on his psychology. He finds that he is at ease hiding in the
dark under the sofa in his room, like a bug would, even though his body wont fit
comfortably. He also discovers that he enjoys crawling on the walls and ceiling. But
Gregors humanity never disappears entirely. He still feels human emotions and has
strong memories of his human life. As a result, even though he knows he would feel
more physically comfortable if his room were emptied of furniture, allowing him to
crawl anywhere he pleased, Gregor panics when Grete and his mother are taking out
the furniture, such as the writing desk he remembers doing all his assignments at as
a boy. In a desperate attempt to hold onto the few reminders he has of his humanity,
he clings to the picture of the woman muffled in fur so that no one will take it away.
Ultimately hes unable to fully adapt to his new body or to find a new role within his
family, which is disgusted by him and ashamed of his presence in the house. Toward
the end of the story, he even feels haunted by the thought that he might be able to
take control of the familys affairs again and resume his role as the familys moneyearner. Despite these hopes, he decides it would be best for the family if he were to
disappear entirely, and so he dies much as he lived: accepting his fate without
complaint and thinking of his familys best interests.

Grete Samsa:Apart from her brother Gregor, Grete is the only other character addressed by name
in the story, a distinction that reflects her relative importance. Grete is also the only
character to show pity for Gregor through most of the novella (his mother also

exhibits pity for him later in the story), apparently owing to the great affection Grete
and Gregor had for each other before Gregors transformation. Consequently, she
becomes Gregors primary caretaker. She brings him food, cleans his room, places
his chair by the window so he can see out to the street, and comes up with the idea
of removing his furniture so he has more room to scurry and climb. In this role as
caretaker she serves as Gregors only real human contact for most of the story, and
she acts as Gregors only strong emotional tie to his familyand indeed to the rest of
humanity.
Grete, however, changes more than any other character in the storyin essence
undergoing her own metamorphosis from a girl into a womanand that change
occurs while her pity for Gregor slowly diminishes. While at first Grete takes care of
her brother out of kindness, eventually she comes to regard the job as a duty. She
doesnt always enjoy it, but it serves to define her position in the family, and she
becomes territorial about caring for Gregor, not wanting her mother to be involved.
As she matures and takes on more adult responsibilities, most notably getting a job
to help provide for her family financially, her commitment to Gregor diminishes.
Eventually she comes to resent the role, and it is Grete who decides they must get
rid of Gregor. The story ends with the parents recognizing that Grete has become a
pretty young woman and thinking that it may be time to find her a husband,
suggesting Grete has completed her own transformation into an adult.

The father:The reader predominantly sees Gregors father from Gregors point of view in the
story, and for the most part, he appears as a hopeless and unkind man, concerned
primarily with money, who isnt particularly close to his son. We learn, for example,
that he had a business that failed, and since its failure he has lost his motivation and
essentially given up working, forcing Gregor to provide for the family and work to pay
off the fathers debts. Yet despite Gregors help, the father has no sympathy for
Gregor after Gregor undergoes his metamorphosis. On the day of Gregors change,
the father only seems concerned about the familys finances, and in the two
instances when he interacts directly with Gregor in the story, he attacks Gregor in
some way, first when he beats Gregor back into his room at the beginning and later
when he throws the fruit at him.
These details suggest an estrangement between Gregor and his father (Kafkas
strained relationship with his own father, whom he viewed as alien and overbearing,
certainly gives weight to such an interpretation). Gregor never explicitly says he
resents his father, but its clear that he only works as a traveling salesman to make
up for his fathers failure in business, suggesting he feels trapped by his fathers
failings. Moreover, Gregor never displays the same affection for his father that he
displays, albeit rarely, toward his mother and sister, as when he longs to see his

mother before she and Grete begin moving the furniture out of his room. Adding to
this sense of estrangement is the way the father is referred to in the story. The
narrator does not name him beyond calling him Mr. Samsa, and in Gregors
thoughts he almost always appears as the father.

CONCLUSION
The story's ending confirms Gregor's bleak realization that his family is better off
without him. No longer do they shuffle under the weight of all their troubles. Grete's
stretch at the end of their train ride out to the country represents the entire family's
feeling that a huge burden has been lifted off their shoulders.This proves that some
how families or peoples are afraid to perform their duties towards there family
members or other persons of the society .In this metamorphosis the condition of
Gregor Samsa was a horrible nd terrific part of nature creation but it doesnt mean
that you stop caring about your own people , a person who is part of your family .
Franz Kafka Metamorphosis describes how people use to leave alone their close ones
or any other person if due to them they are having problem or they feel like they are
suffering. One interesting aspect of The Metamorphosis is that Gregor was his
family's sole provider until his change. Afterwards, his family had to provide for
themselves. His father got a job, they took in boarders, which caused legal problems
for the family, and the entire family unit suffered because while they were all able to
be productive they relied on Gregor to carry them until he couldn't. Then they
resented him for his change, which was beyond his control.That aspect of the story
should bear some significance to all of us. How many times have we been affected
by someone else due to a change in their lives that was out of their control? Or, how
many times have we affected others due to a change in our own lives? How do we
handle it when it happens? The Samsa family didn't handle it well at all. Would we?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. www.sparknotes.com
2. WIKIPEDIA
3. GOOGLE
4. ARTICLES FROM ESSAY.UK.COM
5. www.goodreads.com